Nation
‘Less than 50% Nigerians, Computer Literate’
Less than 50 per cent of Nigerians are computer literate, Dr Emmanuel Okonta, Chairman of the Delta Chapter of the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), said in Asaba on Thursday.
Okonta told newsmen that the situation was due to the lack of sufficient awareness of the essence of Information Communication Technology (ICT) among Nigerians.
He said that the condition was worse in sub-urban and rural areas in the country, where little or nothing was known about ICT.
The chairman said that the situation was unlikely to improve unless efforts were made to enlighten the populace on the imperative of computer literacy.
He also said that there was the need to deploy more ICT materials in the country.
Okonta said, “ICT materials available in the country and, indeed Africa, are so insufficient that they are less than 50 per cent of the materials deployed in New York alone.’’
He pointed out that majority of Nigerians were unaware of the impact of ICT on the country’s economic and political development.
He described information as a resource and said that the major problem facing ICT development in the country was that there were lots of “analogue” information technology managers in a digital age.
Okonta regretted that the people, who should make ICT work in the country had been displaced by those “who know nothing about ICT’’.
He said that the conference would expose participants to the merits of e-payment being introduced by the Federal Government, noting that it would help to decongest offices and safe guard revenue.
On Internet fraud, Okonta said that greed was central to it, as majority of the victims were people who wanted to cut corners and were not contented with what they had. He, however, said that Internet fraud could be checked if the level of security in the country was enhanced and ICT professionals were alive to their responsibilities.
The NSC chairman advocated the establishment of a regulatory body for ICT service providers, adding that the body would monitor and control their operations.
Nation
Council Boss Impeached 48 Hours To LG Polls In Katsina
The Chairman of Malumfashi Local Government Council of Katsina State, Maharazu Dayi, has been impeached.
Maharazu Dayi was impeached yesterday by 11 out of 12 councillors, barely two days before the local government elections in the State.
The councillors reportedly took action following allegations of misconduct and poor governance against the chairman after a dispute over the distribution of the council’s Paris Club funds.
The development has sent shock waves across the local government area, especially as the impeached chairman is among those who failed to secure the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to contest in the forthcoming election.
Nation
Association Tasks Fubara On Rumuwoji Market Phase Three
The Rumuwoji Ultra Modern Market Traders Association, Mile 1, Port Harcourt, has urged the state government to utilise the available spaces within the area to build phase 3 of the Rumuwoji Market in order to solve the ever increasing needs of traders.
The association, which said this at a media briefing in Port Harcourt, also described as a welcomed development the decision by the state Governor to open the phase 2 of the market for business.
According to the association, “We consider it as an answer to the various cries of the people, because he is a man on a mission who is out to place the interest of Rivers people first. It is a dream come true for the first time for the market to be dully allocated and open for business”
Chairman of the association, Hon Godspower Wobo, who briefed the press shortly after a meeting of the association in Port Harcourt, also urged the public to disregard the activities of some persons whose stock in trade is to cause disaffection in the market.
He said the attention of the association was drawn to the activities of some strange fellows who went about misforming the people about situation in the market, stressing that apart from his association, no other group exists in the market except subdiary unions.
Wobo also tasked the reallocation committee to tread with caution so as to avoid being deceived by any group.
According to him, time has come for the state government to engage in robust discussion with aggrieved shop owners who went to court and those who paid monies to the state coffers and issued with allocation certificates for the overall interest of peace.
He also advised the public to deal directly with his association, stressing that the meeting was to review activities for the last year as well as unveil their new Constitution.
Also speaking, former Chairman of the association, Deacon Kenneth Eze urged the Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara to open the phase 2 of the market, as it is long overdue.
Eze who is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the association also urged the public to do business with only the Rumuwoji Ultra Modern Market Traders Association as it is the only union recognised by the traders.
Nation
AfDB President Denies 2027 Presidential Ambition
The President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwunmi Adesina, has debunked reports linking him with the race for Nigeria’s presidency in 2027.
Reacting to the report on his X handle yesterday, following a recent interview with Arise TV, the AfDB boss said his quotes were misrepresented and misinterpreted in several Nigerian media reports.
However, the AfDB president denied the media reports, stating that he never said that he wanted to contest for President.
“A segment of my recent interview on @Arise TV has been both misinterpreted and misrepresented in several Nigerian media outlets. What I said was, “I will be available to serve in any capacity, globally, in Africa, anywhere, including my own country.”
“A listen to the substantive and robust interview, which is available online, will show this to be the case. For clarity and for the record, I did not say that I am running for the office of President of Nigeria,” Adesina said.
-
Sports5 days ago
Former President Kicks Off New Bayelsa Stadium Project
-
Business4 days ago
NESGAS, Cakasa Sign Deal For 50,000MT LPG Storage Facility In Rivers
-
Rivers5 days ago
Redeem Your Financial Pledges, Oxfam Urges Nations
-
Opinion4 days ago
Leveraging On Manpower Dev: Tai LG Model
-
Politics4 days ago
N’Assembly Adjusts 2025 Budget, Raises Recurrent Expenditure
-
Sports5 days ago
Amuneke Lauds Super Focused Heartland
-
Business4 days ago
Total Energies Urges Right Policies, Environment To Attract Foreign Investors
-
Rivers5 days ago
Association Boss Urges For Professionalism, Efficiency Among Memebers